This is one of those questions that constantly baffles me. And I don’t think I’ll ever understand the answer. But maybe someone reading can explain it to me.

Why does everyone hate Nickelback?

Last week, when the group was announced to perform at the NHL awards, you’d have thought someone made the decision to replace the Stanley Cup with a life-sized replica of Sean Avery. Thousands of people immediately went online and said “Nickelback? Ewwwwww…..”

Now that they have been announced to perform at Ottawa Bluesfest, I’m seeing it all over again.

Last year, they were to perform at halftime of the Detroit Lions-Green Bay Packers game on the U.S. Thanksgiving, and people started a petition to have them removed.

A study showed that if you use an online dating site, listing Nickelback as a musical preference is a top turnoff for women.

It just doesn’t make sense to me.

Chad Kroeger is the lead singer for Nickelback.

It’s almost like elementary school, when you’re accused of liking a certain boy or girl. You may actually like them, but there’s no way you would tell people that. Instead, you need to keep up the charade. You say “No, I don’t like Susie,” and then spend the next few years wondering how you can get her attention.

Here’s what I think happened: When Nickelback started being successful, people liked them. But as they continued their success, it rubbed people the wrong way, for whatever reason.

So at some point it became “cool” to make fun of Nickelback. So even more people started doing it. But then it went to the extreme, where people felt ashamed to admit they liked Nickelback. After all, it seems as everyone doesn’t like them.

I keep wondering if Nickelback fans attend concerts in a trench coat and a hat to help conceal their identity. Do they even tell people the next day they went to the show?

But there’s no need to feel shame. They’re a good rock band.

According to Billboard, Nickelback was the top rock group of the 2000s decade, and How You Remind Me was listed as the top rock song of the decade. They sell out concerts all over the world.

I’m even getting my young daughters into their music. From about six months of age to 14 months, whenever they were crying, or were fussy, or had trouble falling asleep, all I had to do was start singing Rockstar. It calmed them down right away, and actually became their bedtime lullaby for a while.

I’m not saying these guys are the Rolling Stones, Kiss or anything like that. But they are a good rock band.

And there are plenty of other musical acts out there that are way worse.

But all this hate for Nickelback? It’s silly.

What do you think? Are you a secret Nickelback fan? Or do you hate them with the fire of a thousand suns?

25 responses to “Why does everybody hate Nickelback?”

It’s almost like elementary school, when you’re accused of liking a certain boy or girl. You may actually like them, but there’s no way you would tell people that. Instead, you need to keep up the charade.

They are generic and overplayed. Their music is shoved down people’s throats. They get way more than their fair share of radio air-play. It makes people feel like they have no autonomy or choice in the music they listen to. The combination of over-exposure and complete banality and lack of variation makes people angry. People don’t really hate Nickelback per se, they hate everything the success of Nickelback represents: Static, mediocre product made lucrative and undeservedly popular due to the thinly veiled, incessant peddle pushing of a corrupt, crack pot music industry.They don’t even try to sell Nickelback. They don’t have any impetus to stay fresh or interesting out of respect for their “fans” ie: everyone with a radio who will inevitably hear their songs no matter what. They just show up, with same shit they’ve been churning out since 01′ and expect to be liked and get paid. And it works. And everyone’s pissed about it.

Some good points, but I don’t agree on the radio part. You make it sound as if they are on the radio to make them popular, but the opposite is true. If they weren’t popular, they wouldn’t be played on the radio as much.

She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me and spending time on me.
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me, up on me, on me.

What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
What you gon’ do with all that ass?
All that ass inside them jeans?
I’ma make, make, make, make you scream
Make you scream, make you scream.
What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
Get you love drunk off this hump.
What you gon’ do wit all that breast?
All that breast inside that shirt?
I’ma make, make, make, make you work
Make you work, work, make you work.

(A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha) [x4]

She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me and spendin’ time on me
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me, up on me, on me.

if people buy your music, good or not, who’s the stupid one? Your beef is with people buying the music, since they are the ones that made them successful. Funny how you can’t see that. It’s not like they forced their music on you, millions of people bought it and made it popular. People just like you.

They just show up, with same shit they’ve been churning out since 01′ and expect to be liked and get paid. And it works. And everyone’s pissed about it.====tell me how does THAT work again? don\t you think that those people who were pissed about WERE the same people who actually LIKED what they’ve been churning up since ’01? bunch of hypocrites, I telll you.

I enjoy their music and I feel no shame over it. I went to their concert two weeks ago and it was fun. I know a little bit about radio play and trust me – if listeners didn’t want it, it wouldn’t be played. There are many groups that I don’t care for, but I don’t get mad that they are popular. It’s just become the “cool thing to do” to hate Nickleback. By the way, Nickleback nearly sold out the Target Center in Minneapolis – which is a 20,000 venue. Apparently not everyone hates Nickkleback!

I don’t have a problem with Nickleback. If any artist is being “shoved down” our throats it Chris Brown. There are numerous reasons to dislike him, but it doesn’t seem to make any difference. Where is the petition to keep him off of morning and award shows?

She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me and spending time on me.
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me, up on me, on me.

What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
Get you love drunk off my hump.
What you gon’ do with all that ass?
All that ass inside them jeans?
I’ma make, make, make, make you scream
Make you scream, make you scream.
What you gon’ do with all that junk?
All that junk inside that trunk?
I’ma get, get, get, get you drunk,
Get you love drunk off this hump.
What you gon’ do wit all that breast?
All that breast inside that shirt?
I’ma make, make, make, make you work
Make you work, work, make you work.

(A-ha, a-ha, a-ha, a-ha) [x4]

She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me and spendin’ time on me
She’s got me spendin’.
(Oh) Spendin’ all your money on me, up on me, on me.

I dare you to find a Nickelback song with lyrics as stupid as this. And not just one line or chorus, the entire song as I’ve shown above. Bye sheep.

I recently used one of Nicklebacks songs in a Tough Mudder video I made for YouTube and I got more feedback and comments telling me Nickleback “Sucks”, “Everyone hates them” than I did on the actual purpose of the video. I have been confused for the past few weeks because only guys have said this to me. “You listen to Nickleback? They suck.” I am not ashamed but is there something I need to know? I ran across a dating to do and not to do list and one of the things on it stated to talk about your dislike in Nickleback. What?! Is this a known thing to everyone except me? If you don’t like them, don’t listen. Who cares if it is overplayed, you have other options, Pandora (thumbs down them) or I don’t know… use one of the million devices made to play mp3s and download music you like. Does dating dos and don’ts really have that much of an impact on the future of Nickleback’s fan base? This is seriously just odd. They are not horrible. I hope people can back up and appreciate that they are talented. Point to the positive, they don’t suck.

Well I would certainly agree…I mean, why do people keep themselves busy with hating “mediocre” music instead of “very bad that is hurts my ears” music (aka Rebecca Black, Justin Bieber,…) >.> go hate that…or isn’t that mainstream? I really really don’t get it. At least the guy from Nickelback can sing and they use REAL instruments (unlike Skrillex).

As a woman I’d find it a but gross if some guy I was interested in listened to Nickelback. Forgetting the fact they’re generic, they have some misogynistic lyrics and I don’t want to date someone who’s into that crap.

Nickleback was great when the first hit the scene. Their songs were grungy and original, with a lot of heart. Now they make music for all the wrong reasons. Their albums get worse and worse, appealing to the same crowd, and writing the same damn thing. They’re popular on the billboards, that’s great, so is Justin Beiber and Niki Minaj. I don’t understand how you are confused. Nickleback has dissapointed me, a past fan. They just aren’t what they used to be.

Here is the simple Fact. If they sucked, people wouldn’t hire them and they would get air time, so to those that may not like them, there is a reason why you continue to hear them still ;P
Many people out there buy and demand there music
As long as people still like them, you will continue to hear them
Have a great day